


Something about Christmastime

by Raspberries_Heartbeat



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Flirting, Fluff, Ice Skating, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-04 08:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11551386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raspberries_Heartbeat/pseuds/Raspberries_Heartbeat
Summary: Dan's sportsanime obsession leads everyone's favourite platonic, not so platonic YouTuber couple to spend a day at the ice rink.Featuring: Clumsy Dan, hot chocolate, Christmas spirit, and Phan fluffyness





	Something about Christmastime

It seemed like a good idea at a time. Whenever Dan watched a sports anime (and those times where  
quite frequent) a strange sense of activity overcame him. Just from watching those characters  
having the time of their lives while being active, his brain somehow came to the conclusion that  
sports was exactly the thing his life lacked. Reality always settled in eventually when Dan once  
again realized that he was the embodiment of the adjective "nonathletic". He had to admit it after he  
almost drowned Phil and himself, after he almost died running a marathon, and he painfully realized  
it after Felix and PJ wrecked him at playing basketball.  
Yet Dan never seemed to learn. Yet he always thought it'd go different. Phil sensed the disaster  
before it was coming when Dan showed more and more signs of obsession to the ice-skating anime  
"Yuri on ice". It doesn't take a genius to finish the equation.

  
It really seemed like a good idea at a time. In retrospection, it really wasn't. The realization dawned  
on him the first time his ice-skates clad foot touched the ice. Realization came like a quite literal  
punch in the face ('Hi, nice to meet you floor, I'm Dan'). While Dan peeled his face off the ice, he  
came to the conclusion that this had been a terrible idea. But besides of being an nonathletic piece  
of trash, Dan was also unbelievably stubborn. Once an idea settled itself into his brain, it took a lot  
of effort to get it out of there again.  
With stoic determination, Dan managed to get back on his feet (gripping on the railing of the small  
Londoner ice rink for dear life) and took a confident swing. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to go iceskating  
when he obviously couldn't, but hell could freeze over before Dan admitted out loud than it  
had been a stupid plan. His feet wobbled dangerously and he caught himself just on time, barely  
able to keep himself upright. He huffed in concentration and tried to coordinate his feet on the  
slippery surface. He already started to feel annoyed with the whole day and suddenly wished he was  
in the safety of his sofa creak, without ice-skates, and cold fingers, and stupid people watching him  
fail.

  
"We've been here for half an hour and you barely moved a meter, are you okay there?" came Phil's  
voice from right behind him. Dan, far too excited when he revealed his master plan to make his  
anime dreams reality to his best friend (the only person he could think of to go on such an adventure  
with), hadn't paid attention to his clumsy friend since they arrived at the ice rink. His thoughts were  
much too occupied with images of himself, dancing over the ice, a picture of grace and glory. And  
once he managed to get on the ice, his thoughts were much too much occupied with not breaking  
every single bone in his body.  
Dan started an awkward attempt to turn, so he could face Phil, which resulted in him falling back  
first against Phil's chest. Embarrassed, Dan tried to wiggle out of the involuntarily hug, but he  
slipped again in the second Phil's body was no longer supporting him. Dan yelped and cursed  
silently, when Phil darted forward and caught him around the waist just on time. Phil's grip was  
stronger than Dan imagined it to be, and he couldn't help but feel relived that his friend was there to  
keep him from falling again.  
"I thought you knew how to ice-skate" Phil smirked amused.  
"Shut up" Dan defended himself. "I was doing just fine"  
"Oh really? Okay, well then" Phil laughed, playfully releasing the arm he had wrapped around his  
friend's waist. Dan yelped when his feet slid forward and threw his arms around Phil's neck in  
panic.  
"Don't. Do. That" he half panted, half growled between gritted teeth. Phil just laughed lightly,  
locking Dan in a secure embrace. They stayed still for a second or two, waiting until Dan's  
breathing slowed down and he gained back the confidence in his legs. Phil, being the sweetheart he  
is, didn't let him go again, because he sensed how much of a looser his friend was on ice-skates.  
Dan released another shaky breath and only just the realized how close they were. His hands were  
violently gripping the soft texture of Phil's navy jumper and he could faintly feel Phil's heart beating  
against his own chest. Something about Phil's presence had always calmed him. He couldn't quite  
put his fingers on the feeling that made his head go light when Phil smiled at him like that, this  
genuine, happy smile that made his eyes sparkle. He couldn't tell why, but Phil's hugs were the most  
wonderful thing in the world to him. Nobody hugged like Phil. It was like being wrapped in a  
blanket full of warm, a blanket that smelled so nice-  
'Dan. Stop it. You're doing it again' he scolded himself mentally.

  
He looked up to find Phil grinning down at him, his eyes twinkling with an unknown emotion. Dan  
felt a blush creep up his neck and hoped silently that Phil wouldn't notice (of course Phil noticed).  
Instead of making another comment, Phil started skating very carefully with Dan attached to his  
chest, until Dan felt his back touch the safety of the railing. Gently, Phil peeled Dan's hands off his  
neck and placed them on the cold metal.  
"You're as gracious as a cow" he commented grinning once he found Dan could securely stand on  
his own. Dan shot him one of his 'I'll kill you right here' glances.

  
"It's because your feet are too far apart. Your movements aren't smooth" Dan pouted a little, he  
absolutely hated it when Phil was better than him at something (which happened on a regular basis  
and he hated it every time it happened). Maybe it was the small self conscious voice in the back of  
his head that always reminded him that he owned almost everything he loved about his life to Phil,  
and that Phil (unlike him) actually managed to accomplish things in his life. He just really really  
wanted to impress the person he secretly looked up to. Of course, Dan would never say that out  
loud.  
Instead, he settled for mumbling "Why are you so good at this, anyway?" Phil laughed a little at  
Dan's sulky tone. "I'm from the North, Dan. There wasn't much to keep us occupied in Winter. I was  
practically born with skates on" Dan gave him a small sideways glance with the crooked smile he  
always put on when Phil said something that could be an innuendo. "Not literary" Phil rolled his  
eyes about Dan's humor. "Honestly tho it's not that hard. Watch my legs"  
'Well I don't need an invitation for that, honey' a very suppressed, very flirty part of Dan's mind  
retorted. Dan felt like mentally slapping himself. This was Phil, for crying out loud. Just...Phil. His  
best friend. His YouTube partner. No romantic feelings involved. Not. Even. A. Tiny. Bit.  
In all honestly tho, the sight impressed him. Phil was floating casually over the ice, swaying a little  
left and then right and then turning a little bit- while his face held a content expression.  
Dan immediately became jealous of how good Phil looked while ice-skating. How could Phil, the  
clumsiest person in London, be so graceful? Dan would never stop to be amazed by all the little  
facades Phil had. And every single one of them was wondrous (Even the houseplant addiction). A  
little smile crept on his face when he watched his best friend being fucking amazing. It where those  
little moments where he suddenly realized that Phil was beautiful. Like, on a completely objective  
level. Like, he was just stating facts here. It wasn't just his opinion, and had nothing at all to do with  
potential romantic feelings.

"Got it?" Dan snapped out of his thoughtfulness.  
"Y...yeah" he stammered (He actually didn't get it), blushing even more furiously than before. Phil  
gave him a funny look and Dan silently cursed his body for not cooperating with his clearly not  
romantic feelings.  
The younger Youtuber swallowed hard and tried to take a step forward. He tried to move his feet in  
sync like his best friend showed him, but his legs were just not coordinating on the slippery surface.  
After the split of a second he lost his balance and flapped his arms furiously to gain it back. Dan's  
mood was already pretty down, but when he heard a little fucker behind him laugh and point at him  
(he didn't need to turn around, he could feel the accusing finger), it hit its absolute low. Dan  
managed to stand wobbly and bit his lip angrily, debating whether or not it was worth the fuss to  
scream at a child on an ice-rink. He gained his composure back with breathing exercises when he  
heard two little fuckers laugh at him (so little fucker number 1 got his little friend, hu?).  
Dan, having a short tempter, turned, an authorial rant already on his lips- when he slipped and fell  
and the air of authority vanished along with his dignity. He toyed with the thought of staying on the  
floor with his face down, having an existential crisis, when he heard the soft scratching of vats next  
to his ear. A ray of sunlight looked down on him, with a bemused smile. Phil offered Dan a hand to  
help him stand up. Dan, pretty pissed, ignored it.

  
"C'mon, you're giving up already?"  
"There's little children laughing at me, Phil. I think that's enough humiliation for today"  
The older Youtuber gave the kids a sideways glance, they were about twelve and about as clumsy as  
his best friend. "You wanted to come here. It doesn't matter what they think. Children are stupid and you're too sensitive"  
"I'm not sensitive", Dan mumbled, finally taking Phil's hand and pulling himself up.  
"You are" Phil pocked his tongue out and Dan felt the mischief urge to bite into it, just to show him  
that it was very rude to point your tongue at others.  
"C'mon now. We can try it together" Dan's grumpy expression melted for a moment when he was  
blessed once again with the pureness of Phil Lester's soul. But he felt stupid. Phil was so good and  
he was so bad, and now he would be hanging on this beautiful gracefulness like a sack of potatoes.

"No protests" Phil spoke softly, sensing Dan's worries.  
Before Dan could even open his mouth again, Phil had grabbed his other hand as well and started to  
skate backwards slowly, so he was tugging Dan along in the process.  
"That's how I learned it, you know? Just stand straight. I'm doing the rest"  
"Phil, that's stupid" Dan snorted, feeling more and more embarrassed that Phil once again had to  
teach him things.  
"So you prefer falling, I recon?" Phil teased, letting go of Dan's hands and caught them again just on  
time before Dan had another encounter with the floor.  
"I told you before, don't do that! I'm kinda depending on you here!"

  
Phil chuckled and proceeded to skate backwards in slow circles. When he was finished being winy  
bitch, Dan actually focused on the movements Phil was making. It wasn't that hard, actually. The  
angle was key, as well as your balance. Dan's face crunched up in concentration when he watched  
Phil's legs move in a steady rhythm. He only thing slightly distracting him was his teacher, for Dan  
seemed to loose track every few seconds when he realized that Phil's hands were so much warmer  
than the seemed and his fingers were so much softer than he had imagined them,.... and his own  
damn palm was sweating, making him look like a nervous idiot. Every time his grip on his friend's  
hand tightened (because he was in danger of loosing balance), Phil returned the pressure gently,  
locking Dan's hands in a secure grip made of warm. Dan's gaze darted up a couple of times to linger  
on Phil's content expression, but every time their eyes met, Dan quickly looked away. He didn't  
know why he was nervous, but somehow his body came to the conclusion that this was the right  
situation to be in this state.  
He didn't know how long they moved around like it, but it was long enough to make him used to the  
surface beneath him and he actually found himself enjoying the experience altogether.  
Phil suddenly stopped, with caused Dan to very ungracefully bump into him. While Dan blushed  
furiously (out of completely non romantic reasons, I assure you), Phil just casually placed one of his  
hands on the small of Dan's back, to make him stand more upright. "Now that you've grown used to  
the ice. Let's work on your movements"  
Dan nodded a little dumbfounded, far too occupied with Phil's casual closeness (like it was the  
fucking most normal thing to them in the world when it clearly wasn't!) to pay attention to what was  
actually going on.

  
So he was quite caught off guard, when he found a) His hands lacking Phil warmth, b) His eyes  
lacking access to Phil appreance, and c) His back suddenly indulged by Phil closeness.  
He involuntarily yelped when Phil's stomach pressed a little against his back, and he wished there  
would be a black hole to swallow him alive. Phil pretended to not have noticed Dan's sudden  
quirkiness, and instead placed his hands on both sides of Dan's hips.  
This action earned him another yelp from Dan, to with he rolled his eyes in amusement.  
"Have a little self-control there, Howell", he whispered low right against Dan's ear, voice highly  
above a breath and dripping with a tone Dan had never heard before. All his mind could come up  
with that it sounded unbelievably sexy (in a total not sexual way of course) and that he really, really  
shouldn't be a blushing shivering mess when Phil was close enough to notice it.  
"The fuck are you doing?" Dan scolded half-hearted, but his voice was much too faint to transport its usual biting tone.  
"I'm flirting with you"  
Dan's whole body went stiff when Phil answered and squeezed his hips playfully. For a second, Dan  
was having very very romantic, non romantic and very very sexual non sexual thoughts, when Phil giggled. "I was joking, no need to be shocked like that, geez. I'm not that bad of a match"  
Dan wanted to scream. Shake Phil and scream that he was a very good match and everyone who was blessed with his apperance should be grateful, and how much he cared about him- but also hated him with burning passion right now (in a total non romantic way of course).

  
Deciding that offense was the best defense, Dan turned the tables.  
"Now, is there any deeper meaning behind your penetration of my backside, or are you just horny as  
fuck?"  
Dan watched Phil's hand slip slightly on his hips by surprise and was delighted that his attempt to  
bring Phil our of composure had been successful.  
"That's how you flirt" he informed his best friend between chuckles. If he had turned to look at  
Phil's face in that moment, he would have found him blushing heavily. But he didn't.  
Phil cleared his throat, in an attempt to overplay his sudden embarrassment and tightened his grip  
on Dan's hips again. "Since you are obviously very comfortable on ice now, we need to give you the  
moves"  
Dan, fighting the urge to just burst out "I like to move it, move it" let himself be guided by Phil's  
gentle pressure on his hips. They moved slowly, one foot at a time, in small rounds.  
"Left, right, left, right- you're doing well" Dan felt encouraged by Phil's nice words and now fully  
enjoyed himself.  
How could he not? He wasn't falling anymore, there were Christmas carols playing softly in the  
background, the air smelled faintly of the hot chocolate from the tiny booth just next to the ice rink,  
and above all, he got to spend time with his favorite person in the whole world. Something about  
Phil's arms pressed against his sides, Phil's heartbeat near his back, and Phil's breath in his ear made  
him feel incredibly content. It was the strange way Phil had of making the world seem okay with his  
presence. Dan had seen the ugly sides of life more than once, but he had been lucky enough to have  
Phil near him at almost all occasions. And if Phil was there, everything else didn't really matter.  
Phil's body was warm despite the cold temperatures, Dan could feel pleasant waves of heat  
radiating through Phil's navy blue wolly jumper.

  
"You're inattentive" Phil remarked when Dan's movements slowed a little and he leand a little  
against his best friend's chest. Dan snapped out of his thoughts.  
"m'sorry" he mumbled, the blush returning to his cheeks.  
"What's distracting you?" Phil asked in his honest, open way- the way that made Dan always feel  
like he cared and actually wanted to know.  
'You', he wanted to say. "Just thoughts" he replied instead. Phil rolled his eyes and shook his head,  
smiling to himself. "Just thoughts" was Dan's standard answer if he didn't want to talk.

  
Instead, he stopped skating and held Dan in place gently.  
"Now that you've had your lessons, you can do it on your own" Dan turned his head to give Phil a  
'the fuck I won't' look, but it died down in the second he saw his friend's encouraging smile. Stupid  
Phil with his stupid sunny personality got him every time.  
"Look" Phil started enthusiastically to skate to the railing that was some meters away. "I'll wait right  
here to catch you in case! Now you come over"  
"But Phil" Dan started, already wobbling again.  
The black haired YouTuber just pouted about the protest and opened his arms really wide. "Come  
here!" he encouraged Dan, spreading his arms even more.  
Dan just couldn't resist the charms of another Phil hug. He took a deep breath and actually started  
pretty good. About halfway done, Dan got distracted once again by his thoughts. Why was Phil so  
touchy today? Not that he minded of course, it was just unusual. Although Dan found that Phil  
could be this touchy more often, he even admitted that he could get used to be greeted with such a  
big hug every day.  
What was it about Phil that made him feel so funny inside? Of course, everybody loved Phil. Any  
human being with a heart couldn't come up with the cruelty to hate this sunshine. But Dan always  
felt honored that he got to see sides of Phil he showed to no one else. There was something so  
incredible about him that impressed Dan unbelievably. Why was his heart beating so fast? It was  
only Phil.  
Speaking of Phil... Dan realized just seconds before the fall that he, due to his moment of  
abstraction, skated right past his dumbfounded friend, straight into the railing. It happened before he  
could even comprehend his own stupidity: He tumbled over the railing and was caught, upper half  
of his body outside of the rink, the feet still in it. In a finaly attempt, he tried to turn around, which  
resulted in his left leg being spread in a weird ankle. First came the sharp pain, then the realization  
of the utter embarassment. Dan tried to push himself upright, but his left ankle throbbed  
uncomfortably with every little movement.

Phil was by his side in the split of a second. He placed a secure hand on the shoulder of a very  
defeated, very dangling Dan Howell.  
"Are you hurt?"  
"My left ankle" Dan mumbled. Of course something like this had to happen to him. Just when he  
thought he had gained decent ability at something, life was there to screw him over. And his day  
was going so great.  
Gently, more gentle than Dan ever witnessed him handle anyone, Phil pulled Dan's upper body  
upright and helped him stand, so he wouldn't have to put weight on the bruised joint. The older  
Youtuber maneuvered them to a little bench next to the rink. Dan sank unto the wooden surface like  
a sack of potatoes.  
Phil knelt down next to his legs and pulled the skate and sock off Dan's foot. Dan wanted to protest,  
but decided it was no use. Phil had always turned into a mother hen as soon as he showed any sign  
of injury or illness. Dan took in a sharp breath when Phil touched his now swelling ankle. "Is it  
bad?" he asked, keeping his eyes shut tightly. Something about injuries, blood, and bruising on his  
own body made him feel incredibly uncomfortable. Phil examined the red joint with a thoughtful  
expression. He might not be a doctor, but he was a man who grew up incredibly clumsy, so he knew  
a thing or two about bruises.  
"You'll be fine. With a little bit of care, it'll be gone by tomorrow" With a reassuring smack on Dan's  
leg, Phil pulled Dan's sock back on. His eyes met Dan's. The younger man was biting his lower lip,  
feeling extremely stupid and embarrassed.  
"Sorry I messed up. I'm hopeless" He eyed his best friend with an extremely guilty expression. Phil  
did his best to teach him, and still he couldn't make him proud.  
"Don't worry about it" Phil scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry for pressuring you to try it"  
Dan wanted to slap him. Phil Lester had the purest soul.  
"You didn't pressure me. You believed in me. It's not your fault I'm a potato" Phil laughed out, quiet  
and pure and wonderful.  
"I guess you are. But to be fair, you're a pretty adorable one" With one simple statement, all of  
Dan's worries vanished and were replaced by a warm feeling in his chest. What a honor to be called  
adorable by the most adorable human that walks this earth!

  
He watched his friend wobbled away to the reception to get their shoes back. Now back on normal  
surfaces, Phil was back to his clumsy self. He insisted on putting Dan's shoes on as well and  
ignored all the protests from Dan.  
The next obstacle occurred when Dan tried to put weight on the foot. To put it mildly- it hurt. And  
to put it mildly- Dan voiced his discomfort with this circumstance very graphically. Before he had  
the chance to curse on everything in the near reach of 100 meters, Phil heroically knelt down in  
front of him.  
"Hop on" he said simply. Dan gave his friend a look of sheer terror. Surely Phil had gone nuts!  
"Dan, hop on" Phil said again, this time to push his claim.  
"There is no way-"  
"You're a very uncooperative DANsel in distress" Phil sneered happily about his glorious pun.  
"Did you just fucking-"  
"Yes I did. Now hop on, or I'll carry you bridal style" Quickly realizing that being forced to a piggy  
back ride was clearly the least humanilating one of the options, Dan placed his arms tightly around  
Phil's neck and climbed onto his friend's back. His legs tangled awkwardly on Phil's sides, but the  
other just placed his arms on Dan's upper tights to support their stay.  
Dan imagined it would be a train wreck without repair, but it was actually going pretty well. He was  
impressed that Phil mustered both the strength and balance to carry both of them. Phil marched  
traget-oriented towards the exit but made a surprising turn in the very last second, now walking  
towards the little booth with the hot chocolate.

  
"Phil!" Dan yelped, startled by the sudden movement. Out of fear of falling, he kept his arms glued  
around Phil's shoulders, hand clutching the fabric of the woolly jumper anxiously.  
"I want to go home, Phil." he complained.  
"We are getting home, Dan. But if you keep complaining, you won't get any" he informed a very  
distressed Dan, who then grumbled defeated and buried his face in the crook of Phil's neck, so he  
wouldn't have to face the judging glances of the people around him (not without noticing that Phil  
smelled like Christmas. It must have been the new cinnamon apple pie shampoo he had been talking  
about constantly for the last three days).  
"The biggest cup of hot chocolate with cream and chocolate sauce, please" Dan really wanted to  
stay silent. But hot chocolate was his weak spot.  
"And sprinkles" he mumbled into Phil's neck, not looking up.  
"And sprinkles" Phil laughed. While he waited for their order to be ready, Phil instructed him to get  
his wallet out of his trouser pocket.

  
"Look at how cute they are" Dan heard a female voice right behind him.  
"Why aren't you so sweet to me?" Dan risked a quick glance at the millennial couple that waited  
behind them in line. The guy sighed, but chuckled, picking up the mocking tone in his girlfriend's  
voice as a sign of affection.  
"I'm sorry I'm not the perfect boyfriend like Captain Blue-jumper, but don't deny it- you've always  
had a thing for the bad guys" The guy nuzzled his girl's cheek affectionately causing her to laugh  
and give him a quick kiss.  
Their open display of affection made Dan happy. Being in love had to be the best feeling in the  
world.

  
Phil nudged him a little with his head. "Get your drink" he smiled, nodding in the direction of the  
cashier outstretched hand. Well, being in love was the best feeling in the world apart from the  
anticipation for your favorite hot beverage, of course. The paper cup was steaming and under the  
plastic top piled enormous amounts of cream, chocolate sauce, and of course: rainbow sprinkles.  
Equipped with the hot chocolate, they started their journey back home.

\---

  
It was a quiet Winter day. The clouds looked like it was about to snow and there was a festive  
feeling swinging in the air. People were stopping to eat some biscuits together, hurried to buy  
presents for their loved ones, and stood around having chats with people they normally just passed  
by. Christmas altered people. It slowed them down. It made them realize what was important in life.  
What they should be thankful for. It was the perfect opportunity to spend time with strangers and  
good friends- with everybody who had been nice to you during to year. Dan felt strangely touched  
by the Christmas spirit- something about Christmas time made him wish it was Christmas every  
day. He felt his heart swell with sudden, and pure happiness.  
It was nice to be carried by Phil like that. It evoked the same secure feeling in Dan that he  
connected with fun afternoons with his family. He felt like a child again- in the best way possible.  
Like nothing could get to him, as long as Phil was there. Sighning contently, he nuzzled his cheek in  
the soft navy blue fabric and wished the way home never ended.

  
The stopped in front of the entrance eventually, where Phil had a little chat with the sweet old lady  
from down the road. Dan liked her, too. She always called him "deary" and pinched his cheek as if  
he was still 10 years old and not a fucking giant. He gave her a sheepish smile, hanging onto Phil  
with one hand and holding hold chocolate in the other. They must be quite a sight. He didn't  
contribute to the conversation, just listened and smiled and nodded, blessed by the kindness of the  
people around them. Christmas was the best time of the year. He could still feel Phil's heartbeat  
through the thick fabric, his large hands secure on his tights, and listened to his friend using his  
name occasionally, speaking it with such care and admiration. Dan wanted to cry. Something about  
Christmas made him sentimental, too. He felt himself getting lost in the sound of Phil's deep and  
soft voice, which was so different from his filming voice.  
"We would love to come over for Christmas eve again this year, Mrs. Robinson! Right, Dan?"  
Dan was shaken out of his emotional trance by the mentioning of his name, but nodded  
enthusiastically once he grasped what was going on.  
"Of course, you make the best Christmas pudding of the whole street!" The old lady giggled,  
flattered by the compliment and proceeded to tell them eagerly about her wonderful grandchildren  
who visited her on Chrsitmas Day and how she excited she was, and how much she still needed to  
do. She excused herself eventually, for "a tree doesn't decorate itself". Phil stood and smiled at her  
until she vanished into her red entrance door.

With one hand, he unlocked the door and carried Dan up the stairs.  
"We should visit her more often" Phil mused, once they entered the flat. "She's such a sweet person"  
Dan chuckled into Phil's neck and had to fight the sudden urge to kiss his friend on the cheek.  
"What are you laughing about?" Phil grinned, bouncing Dan a little.  
"Watch out! There'll be hot chocolate everywhere if you go on like that!" Dan laughed. "You spork"  
he giggled affectionately.  
Phil carried Dan to the sofa and bend his knees until Dan could slide safely unto the soft cushions.  
Dan made a satisfied sound, there was no place like home!  
"What makes you so happy all of a sudden?" Phil asked, amazed by the complete change of  
character Dan went through on the way home. Not that he minded, of course. Dan shrugged his  
shoulders.

  
'You', he wanted to say. "It's Christmas soon" he answered instead. This answer seemed to satisfy  
Phil's curiosity for he fell into babbling about Christmas ornaments, and presents for his family, and  
how much he loved the Christmas carols on the radio. Dan leand back in peace, now focusing on his  
hot chocolate and stoically ignoring the numb throbbing in his left ankle.

  
After he had fetched and applied a creme to keep Dan's skin from swelling more, Phil turned the  
radio to full volume and sang along to every song he knew, while he busied himself decorating the  
flat. Dan had sunken fully into his sofa creak and entertained himself with social media. But his  
eyes just couldn't stay focused on the tumbler posts, but wandered time and time again to a very  
busy, very chipper, very determined decorating Phil.  
The flattering feeling returned to Dan's stomach and he asked himself again what it meant. He had  
no romantic feelings towards Phil, right? Technically it wasn't impossible, he had fallen for guys  
and girls alike before. But nothing had felt the way like it was with Phil. Everything was better with  
Phil. Phil was something entirely different, something special. Suddenly he remembered the couple  
from the hot chocolate stand. They guy had mentioned a little word that had stuck with Dan ever  
since. "Boyfriend". The guy had called Phil his "boyfriend". He should have corrected him, actually.  
But somehow in the situation they had been in, Dan didn't really seem to mind. The internet tried to  
pair them up ever since Pinof 1, and it had bothered him immensely for quite a while. But recently,  
with their world tour successfully over, and countless of hours just driving and experiencing  
awesome, unthinkable stuff with each other, Dan felt like it wasn't the worst thing to be mistaken  
for Phil's boyfriend.

  
Phil would make an awesome boyfriend, Dan was sure. Strangely, he never seemed to be  
interested in any relationship. Dan had witnessed him dismiss many flirts of men and women alike  
on the rare occasions they went out. Phil always stayed polite and friendly, but he made it very clear  
that he wasn't interested. Dan never really thought about his best friend's love life, but once he  
started, it kind of bothered him that he knew almost nothing about it. He himself hadn't much to  
show for either, but he was an antisocial potato, so it was legitimate. Someone as charming,  
beautiful and endearing as Phil had no excuse.

  
Dan nipped on his drink thoughtful, when Phil plopped down beside him with some biscuits, taking  
a break from his hard work as interior designer and professional Christmas songs singer.  
"How's your ankle?" he asked between munches. Dan realized suddenly, that he managed to ignore  
the pain, which died down to a small throbbing, completely.  
"Much better, thanks" Phil gave him a thumbs up, and got his phone out to check twitter. Dan's gaze  
roamed over Phil's handsome features and the pressing question why no one seemed to want to get  
into a relationship with this sunshine really really started to bother him. The easiest way to find out  
was to ask the Phil in question, right?  
"Phil?" his mouth started, before his brain could stop it. "Can I ask you something?"  
"Sure, go ahead" Phil answered, not looking up from his phone.  
"It's kind of personal" Dan trailed off, suddenly not longer convinced of his plan. Hearing his  
friend's tone, Phil put down his phone and looked at him. Dan swallowed, this seemed to go so  
much less smooth than it went in his head, for he found himself to be distracted once again by the  
blue of Phil's eyes. Had they always been this blue?! ('It must be the jumper...aka a weak try to  
convince yourself that your romantic thoughts about your best friend aren't romantic at all') Why  
did he all of a sudden begin to recognize the little beautiful features which made Phil so perfect?!

"Phil, why aren't you in a relationship?" Dan mumbled, tearing his eyes away blushing from these  
damn eyes. Phil gave him a surprised look.  
"Where does this come from all of a sudden?" Dan chewed the inside of his cheek and shrugged.  
"Is it because of the flirting thing from earlier? I was joking, you know?" Dan, suddenly  
remembering all the intimate moments they shared, couldn't help but feel that they, in fact, flirted a  
little bit. But just a little bit. A bit is okay for best friends, right? (Absolutely no romantic feelings at  
all).  
"Did it made you feel uncomfortable?"  
'If anything, it made me feel a bit too comfortable' Dan thought and blushed heavily about his own  
thoughts. "N..no" Dan answered quickly, because silence would clearly leave a wrong impression.  
"I..I didn't mind. I...I know it was just a joke" Phil relaxed visibly.  
"Then what is it? Are you eager to get me out of the house?" Phil laughed, but stopped when he saw  
Dan's horrified expression. "Joking" he added quickly. "You sure are sensitive today"  
Dan huffed, embarrassed with his own behavior. "It's not that. I was just wondering. I've known you  
for eight years and you never seemed interested in anyone" A small blush crept onto Phil's white  
neck and he cleared his throat to overplay it. He was happy that Dan seemed too embarrassed to  
look at him, otherwise he would have noticed.

  
"You could say I'm happy with the way it is now"  
"But you're just stuck with me" Dan sighed, while a self-conscious voice nagged at him that maybe,  
Phil didn't find a person to love because he occupied him too much.  
Phil shook his head a little. Slowly, he reached out and tussled the brown mop of hair on Dan's  
tangling head. "Why is someone as wonderful as you so self-conscious? Be a little proud of  
yourself, Dan. I'm happy to be stuck with you"  
Dan gave him a skeptical glance. Phil sighed. He hated it when Dan doubted himself. When Dan  
felt like he was not enough. What could he do to make Dan realize that there was no better thing for  
him than being stuck with him? Phil grinned mischievously, when an idea formed in his mind.

  
"Come on, do I have to tackle hug you before you believe me? Is it that what you want me to do?  
Fine have it your way" Without warning he caught Dan in a big bear hug and rolled them around on  
the sofa until Dan's frown turned into a laugh.  
"There", he smiled satisfied with himself. "No more frowning"  
He sat up a little, so his back was resting against the backrest and pulled Dan along, so his friend's  
head and back rested against his chest and stomach.  
"But Phil-"  
"That wasn't a request" Phil warned him, grinning. So the topic was settled.  
A comfortable silence fell between them. Dan wished they could be this close all the time. It felt  
unusual for best friends, but it felt so right that he wouldn't want to miss it. He wished Phil was this  
close in every moment of the day, no matter if it was three in the afternoon, eleven in the morning,  
or two in the middle of the night. He wished he could get even closer to Phil, because being with  
Phil made him happy. He wished he could tell Phil, but didn't find the courage to do so. The funny  
warm feeling in his chest held him back, and somehow he sensed that he shouldn't feel this way. He  
had no romantic feelings for his best friend, right?

  
He turned his head to the right and tilted it a little up, so he could look properly at Phil's profile. His  
friend had grabbed a novel from their coffee table and started reading. The arm which wasn't  
holding the book laid casually spread over his shoulder and chest, where Phil played absentmindedly  
with the zipper of his hoodie. By this time, Dan established the theory that Phil was  
entirely made of warm and probably was the sun on a secret mission on earth.  
He closed his eyes again, just listening to Phil's heartbeat (an activity he seemed to enjoy very much  
today), pressing his head deeper into the soft jumper, wishing he could be swallowed whole by  
Phil's embrace.

  
"You would be a great boyfriend" he whispered , catching Phil's hand and eyeing it thoughtful.  
Phil, not looking up from his page, smiled silently to himself. "If you think so"  
"Of course I think so, Phil" Dan snorted.  
The 'No romantic feelings' front in his mind seemed to lose the battle with the 'Hell, I think I'm in  
love with this guy' fraction. Dan stopped his examination of Phil's hand for a second (without  
letting it go of course) and thought about the possibility in all sincerity. It would explain why he felt  
warm and fussy when Phil smiled, and why he blushed when Phil hugged him, and why he found  
Phil beautiful, and why all he needed to be happy was Phil. It was a good thing, right? Phil said he  
was happy with him, right? Everyone seemed to see the perfect match in them (even their friends  
rooted for them becoming a couple), why not give it a try? What could go wrong (except for  
everything)?

  
Dan looked at his friend with this new-found revelation, and suddenly everything seemed to click.  
What if...what if he was the reason for Phil's lack of interest in others? What if he just interpreted it  
completely wrong? What if Phil was happy with him, because he felt it, too? Dan smiled at the  
possibility and pressed his palm gently against Phil's. The older man gave him a questioning side  
look, but a small smile played around his lips. Dan flashed him the biggest grin he could muster and  
intertwined their fingers softly.  
"Phil?" he asked, while he found that Phil's fingers fitted perfectly into the spaces between his own.  
"Yes, Dan?" Phil asked, pretending to be focused on the sentence he was reading. Little did Dan  
know that he stopped reading at the moment Dan had told him that he would be a good boyfriend.  
'Finally' Phil thought to himself. 'Finally he gets it'.  
"You lied" Now Phil had to put the book down. He expected a lot, but not that.  
"Oh yeah?" he challenged. "What makes you think I did?"  
"I think you were flirting with me on the ice rink. But then you got embarrassed and played it off"  
Phil shrugged innocently, with a mischievously twinkle in his eye, and pretended to start reading  
again.

  
"Don't ignore me" Dan nudged the book in Phil's hand playfully with his head.  
"Would you stop being so annoying?" Phil scolded him strictly, but the emotion didn't reach his still  
twinkling eyes.  
"Never. You love me for it, don't deny it" Dan was aware that he slowly heading to the risque topic  
of Phil's feelings for him, but he just couldn't care. Phil was wonderful- he was an idiot for not  
realizing that the love of his life was hiding in plain sight. Phil finally set the book aside. He stared  
at Dan for a short eternity, an unreadable expression gracing his features. "I do. I really really do"

  
Dan didn't fail to grasp that his best friend wasn't at all talking about the annoyance thing.  
Slowly, very slowly Dan sat up, never breaking their intense eye contact, and lend over Phil. His  
legs were straddling the other's hips firm, but careful. Never leaving the blue of Phil's eyes, he leand  
in until there was barely an inch between them. Phil's quick breath tingled on the sensitive skin of  
his lips. The younger Youtuber watched his friend's face for any signs of disapproval. He didn't find  
any. Instead, he noticed that Phil's skin was tinted with a soft red and his pupils dilated visibly with  
every millimeter he inched closer. Phil's palm in his started to sweat. If Dan read the signs correctly and  
he prayed he did otherwise this would turn out very awkward- Phil was as much in love him, as  
he was with Phil.

  
Still...still Dan doubted. "Please", he breathed against Phil's slightly parted, outrageous kissable lips.  
"Tell me I'm not an idiot for thinking that you feel it, too" Phil's gaze flickered between his lips and  
his eyes, when the sightly crooked smile Dan admired so much crept on his face.  
"You're so oblivious sometimes" He sighed, as if a big lead has finally lifted itself off his chest.  
"I though you would never notice" Before Dan could protest that he wasn't oblivious, Phil lifted his  
head and crashed their lips together.

  
It started to snow. There were Christmas carols filling the air. Their flat still smelled of the hot  
chocolate. And he was kissing his best friend. Christmas, Dan decided, would always be his favorite  
holiday.

  
Phil broke their first kiss for a second to let out a light giggle. "You taste like Christmas". Dan  
joined in, laughing relived. He twirled a strand of black hair around his finger affectionately and  
looked down at this wonderful person with a loving expression. The wonderful person was now his.  
But somehow....somehow he had always been his. Dan had just been too blind to notice. Thank god,  
he hurt his ankle. Thank god his stupid obsession with sports anime made him go to the ice rink.  
Thank god for Phil. His boyfriend Phil. The word made Dan all giddy inside, and he couldn't  
contain more laughter to slip past his lips.

  
"I'm sorry" he coughted between giggles. "I'm just so happy". Phil smiled at him warmly.  
"Don't be sorry. I'm happy, too." Phil poked his dimples lovingly "You're my favorite person"  
Dan tried to contain the little happy sounds that slipped past his lips. But it was no use. Being with  
Phil made him more happy than he thought he could ever be. In his joy, Dan threw his arms around  
Phil's neck and hugged him tighter than he had ever hugged anyone else before. This special hug  
was only reserved for Phil. Phil touched the back of his head and massaged his scalp affectionately.  
"You already are a great boyfriend" Dan whispered in Phil's ear and felt a delightful shudder rip  
through the other's body.  
"But" he lifted his head a little to give Phil another peck. "You could have told me earlier"  
"It's not my fault you're so daft"  
"Hey!" Dan hit Phil's arm playfully.  
"But that's okay" Phil laughed, hiding from another playful hit. "It's an early Christmas present for  
both of us, you know?"  
"Does that mean I have to keep you forever?" Phil's eyes twinkled mischievously.  
"Unfortunately yes, no return" Dan shrugged, and overplayed his happiness with a sarcastic sneer.  
"I guess it's not the worst present I've ever got"

Phil laughed out and pushed Dan off him softly,only to attack him with one of the cushions. Their pillow fit soon turned into a kissing session  
again, for both men found themselves unable to let go of the other.  
Many hours later when Dan watched Phil get up to order some Chinese food, he quietly thought to  
himself: 'Maybe being in love really is the best feeling in the world'.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are love!
> 
> (I know, it's quite Christmassy to post a Christmas fic in July....)
> 
> Cross-posted at my Wattpad profile


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